Search form

EXCLUSIVE: Henry Santos Talks Life After Aventura & His Latina Crush!

The 34-year-old former Aventura band member has been busy working on his career as a solo artist, and he's killing it! His merengue "La Vida" exploded on the Billboard charts and thousands of fans flock to see him perform on stage.

Santos stopped by Latina earlier this month (it was so much fun!) to dish on what his life has been like after Aventura, share some of his healthy living tips, dish on his Latina celebrity crush, and so much more.

Check it all out in our exclusive interview below:

Your single “La Vida” is the first merengue for you to reach #1 on the Billboard charts. How does that feel?

It feels like I have to do more [Laughs]. I was very excited because the first three weeks it [made it] to the Top 10 and it stood there about eight weeks, constantly in the Top 5, until it hit #1. That day I was celebrating. I was really happy! It sort of makes sense given that I was in a competition dancing, and every time I’m at the arena I’m so full of energy that to add merengue just gives like a different dimension to my show. I’m already getting ready for my next album and I’m adding more. I already have two merengues, but I’m not giving up on bachata. It’s a lot of fun.

Good, good and fans really received it well, so that’s great. So tell us, how has the journey in your solo career been different?

Well, it has been different because basically I’ve felt like I was a new artist, even with fifteen years in my career. People [are] starting to know me, my views, the way I think and I think ultimately that’s what every artist wants. You know, to be respectado (respected) for the work that you put in. Imaginate (Imagine) my first time, right before I was in Central Park, there were like 35,000 people. Everybody was jumping. I missed my brothers. Obviously I looked around and was like “Okay, this is the Henry show now,” but I had fun which was—I had a show put together, it was pretty nice. So, it went real well and it has been going well ever since, you know, no complaints.

That’s good!Do you still miss the whole dynamic of Aventura, just being there together?

It’s that…it’s different. It’s something that we didn’t put together. It just happened. You know, it’s like having an inner network. I look at them and we look at each other and we know what’s working, we know if there is something funny going on. We don’t even have to talk. That type of chemistry is magical. But when I’m onstage by myself, I do the same thing but with the crowd. I make it a party for everyone and I expect the same back.

Do you think that you would ever maybe get back together to do a song or even another album?

There’s always that possibility cause we do care a lot about each other, individually, we support each other and everything. We talk every day. We’re like, ‘”Oh, I love this song. I love this thing that you’re doing,” because remember we’re cousins. Whatever he does, my cousin, is a proud moment for the whole family. It’s a lot of fun for us.

Editor's Note: We spoke to Henry Santos before he reunited with Aventura at Romeo Santos' Yankee Stadium concert this summer.